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https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans

A turnkey configuration for Zsh
https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans

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A turnkey configuration for Zsh

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README

        

# Zsh for Humans

- **THE PROJECT HAS VERY LIMITED SUPPORT**
- **NO NEW FEATURES ARE IN THE WORKS**
- **MOST BUGS WILL GO UNFIXED**

A turnkey configuration for Zsh that aims to work really well out of the box. It combines the best
Zsh plugins into a coherent whole that feels like a finished product rather than a DIY starter kit.

If you want a great shell that just works, this project is for you.

## Table of contents

* 1. [Features](#features)
* 2. [Installation](#installation)
* 3. [Try it in Docker](#try-it-in-docker)
* 4. [Caveats](#caveats)
* 5. [Usage](#usage)
* 5.1. [Accepting autosuggestions](#accepting-autosuggestions)
* 5.2. [Completing commands](#completing-commands)
* 5.3. [Searching command history](#searching-command-history)
* 5.4. [Interactive search with `fzf`](#interactive-search-with-fzf)
* 5.5. [SSH](#ssh)
* 6. [Customization](#customization)
* 6.1. [Customizing prompt](#customizing-prompt)
* 6.2. [Customizing appearance](#customizing-appearance)
* 6.3. [Additional Zsh startup files](#additional-zsh-startup-files)
* 7. [Updating](#updating)
* 8. [Uninstalling](#uninstalling)
* 9. [Advanced configuration tips](#advanced-configuration-tips)

## Features

- Powerful POSIX-based shell preconfigured to work great out of the box.
- Easy-to-use installation wizard. Does not require `git`, `zsh` or `sudo`.
- [Syntax highlighting](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting) for the command line.
- [Autosuggestions](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions) for commands based on command
history.
- [Command prompt](https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k) configurable through a builtin
configuration wizard.
- Command completions and history searchable with [fzf](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf).
- [Super fast](https://github.com/romkatv/zsh-bench). No lag when you open a new tab in the terminal
or run a command.
- The complete shell environment can be automatically teleported to the remote host when connecting
over `ssh`. This does not require `git`, `zsh` or `sudo` on the remote host.
- Command history can be shared across different hosts. For example, history from `ssh foo`
can be made available within `ssh bar` and/or on the local machine.

## Installation

Run this command in bash, zsh, or sh:

```shell
if command -v curl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/v5/install)"
else
sh -c "$(wget -O- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/v5/install)"
fi
```

The installer backs up the existing Zsh startup files, creates new ones, installs everything
necessary for Zsh for Humans, starts a new shell, and configures it as login shell. It asks for
confirmation on every step so that you are always in control. Installation requires `curl` or
`wget`. It does not require `git`, `zsh`, `sudo` or anything else.

Recording of the installation process

![Zsh for Humans installation](
https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k-media/raw/32c7d40239c93507277f14522be90b5750f442c9/z4h-install.gif)

## Try it in Docker

Try Zsh for Humans in a Docker container. You can safely install additional software and make any
changes to the file system. Once you exit Zsh, the image is deleted.

- **Alpine Linux**: starts quickly; install additional software with `apk add `
```zsh
docker run -e TERM -e COLORTERM -e LC_ALL=C.UTF-8 -w /root -it --rm alpine sh -uec '
apk add zsh curl tmux
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/v5/install)"'
```
- **Ubuntu**: install additional software with `apt install `:
```zsh
docker run -e TERM -e COLORTERM -w /root -it --rm ubuntu sh -uec '
apt-get update
apt-get install -y zsh curl tmux
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/v5/install)"'
```

## Caveats

Zsh for Humans is not a good choice for users who prefer vi bindings in their shell.

Zsh for Humans has very little documentation. There is no list of configuration options it
recognizes and no description of what those options do.

## Usage

If you've used Zsh, Bash or Fish before, Zsh for Humans should feel familiar. For the most part
everything works as you would expect.

### Accepting autosuggestions

All key bindings that move the cursor can accept *command autosuggestions*. For example, moving the
cursor one word to the right will accept that word from the autosuggestion. The whole autosuggestion
can be accepted without moving the cursor with Alt+M/Option+M.

Autosuggestions in Zsh for Humans are provided by [zsh-autosuggestions](
https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions). See its homepage for more information.

### Completing commands

When completing with Tab, suggestions come from *completion functions*. For most
commands completion functions are provided by Zsh proper. Additional completion functions are
contributed by [zsh-completions](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-completions). See its homepage
for the list of commands it supports.

Ambiguous completions automatically start [fzf](#interactive-search-with-fzf). Accept the desired
completion with Enter. You can also select more than one completion with
Ctrl+Space or all of them with Ctrl+A.

### Searching command history

Up and Down keys fetch commands from history that contain what you've already
typed on the command line. For example, if you press Up after typing `grep`, you'll see
the last executed command that contains `grep`.

Ctrl+R starts [fzf](#interactive-search-with-fzf) to search over history.

### Interactive search with `fzf`

Several UI elements in Zsh for Humans use [fzf](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf) to quickly select
an item from a potentially large list of candidates. You can type multiple search terms delimited by
spaces. For example:

```text
^music .mp3$ sbtrkt !fire
```

| Token | Match type | Description |
| --------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| `wild` | substring | Items with the substring `wild` |
| `^music` | prefix | Items that start with `music` |
| `.mp3$` | suffix | Items that end with `.mp3` |
| `!wild` | inverse substring | Items without the substring `wild` |
| `!^music` | inverse prefix | Items that do not start with `music` |
| `!.mp3$` | inverse suffix | Items that do not end with `.mp3` |

A single bar (`|`) acts as an OR operator. For example, the following query matches entries that
start with `core` and end with either `go`, `rb`, or `py`.

```text
^core go$ | rb$ | py$
```

See [fzf](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf) homepage for more information.

### SSH

[![SSH teleportation](https://asciinema.org/a/542763.svg)](https://asciinema.org/a/542763)

When you connect to a remote host over SSH, your local Zsh for Humans environment can be teleported
over to it. The first login to a remote host may take some time. After that it's as fast as normal
`ssh`.

Search for "ssh" in your `~/.zshrc` for information on how to enable and configure SSH
teleportation.

## Customization

You can (and should) edit `~/.zshrc` to customize your shell. It's a very good idea to read through
the whole file to see which customization options are in there and to flip some of them to your
liking.

When adding your customizations, put them next to the existing lines that do similar things. The
default `~/.zshrc` contains the following types of customizations that should serve as examples:

- Export environment variables.
- Extend `PATH`.
- Define aliases.
- Add flags to existing aliases.
- Define functions.
- Source additional local files.
- Load Oh My Zsh plugins.
- Clone and load external Zsh plugins.
- Set shell options.
- Autoload functions.
- Change key bindings.

### Customizing prompt

Prompt in Zsh for Humans is provided by [Powerlevel10k](https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k).
Run `p10k configure` to access its interactive configuration wizard. Further customization can be
done by editing `~/.p10k*.zsh` files. There can be more than one configuration file to account for
terminals with limited capabilities. Most users will ever only see `~/.p10k.zsh`. When in doubt,
consult `$POWERLEVEL9K_CONFIG_FILE`. This parameter is set by Zsh for Humans and it always points
to the Powerlevel10k config file currently in use.

See [Powerlevel10k](https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k) homepage for more information.

### Customizing appearance

Different parts of Zsh for Humans UI are rendered by different projects.

![Zsh for Humans](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k-media/master/prompt-highlight.png)

Everything within the highlighted areas on the screenshot is *prompt*. It is produced by
[Powerlevel10k](https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k). See
[Customizing prompt](#customizing-prompt).

The listing of files produced by `ls` command is colored by `ls` itself. Different commands have
different ways of customizing their output, and even different version of `ls` have different flags
and environment variables related to colors. Zsh for Humans enables colored output for common
commands such as `ls` and `grep`. For further customization consult documentation of the respective
command.

`echo hello` is the current command being typed. Syntax highlighting for it is provided by
[zsh-syntax-highlighting](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting). See its homepage
for documentation on how to customize it.

After `echo hello` you can see `world` in grey. This is not a part of the command, so pressing
Enter will print only `hello` but not `world`. The latter is an autosuggestion provided
by [zsh-autosuggestions](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions) that you can
[accept](#accepting-autosuggestions) in part or in full. It comes from command history and it's a
great productivity booster. See [zsh-autosuggestions](
https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions) homepage for more information.

Last but not least, your terminal has a say about the appearance of *everything* that runs within
it. The base colors, numbered from 0 to 15, can look differently in different terminals and even
in the same terminal with different settings. Most modern terminals support *themes*,
*color palettes* or *color schemes* that allow you to quickly change base colors. If colors in your
terminal look unpleasant, try a different theme. Note that colors with codes above 15, as well as
colors specified as RGB triplets, don't get affected by terminal themes. They look the same
everywhere.

### Additional Zsh startup files

When you start Zsh, it automatically sources `~/.zshenv` and `~/.zshrc`. The former bootstraps Zsh
for Humans, the latter is your personal config. It is strongly recommended to keep all shell
customization and configuration (including exported environment variables such as `PATH`) in
`~/.zshrc` or in files sourced from `~/.zshrc`. If you are certain that you must export some
environment variables in `~/.zshenv`, do it where indicated by comments.

Zsh supports several additional startup files with complex rules governing when each file is
sourced. The additional startup files are `~/.zprofile`, `~/.zlogin` and `~/.zlogout`. **Do not
create these files** unless you are absolutely certain you need them.

## Updating

Run `z4h update` to update Zsh for Humans. There is no update mechanism for `~/.zshrc` itself.

## Uninstalling

1. Delete or replace `~/.zshenv` and `~/.zshrc`. If you had these files prior to the installation of
Zsh for Humans and have replied in the affirmative when asked by the installer whether you want
them backed up, you can find them in `~/zsh-backup`.
2. Restart your terminal. **Restarting zsh is not enough.**
3. Delete Zsh for Humans cache:
```zsh
rm -rf -- "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/zsh4humans/v5"
```

## Advanced configuration tips

See [this document](tips.md).